forest tent caterpillar
noun
: a moth (Malacosoma disstria of the family Lasiocampidae) whose orange-marked larva is a tent caterpillar and a serious defoliator of deciduous trees
Examples of forest tent caterpillar in a Sentence
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The effort involves restoring the land after a devastating forest tent caterpillar infestation wiped out around 4,500 trees, slashing the maple syrup production by 62 percent, according to Hill.
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Amanda Gokee, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2023
Vermont has suffered its own peckish pest — the forest tent caterpillar, said Michael Snyder, commissioner of Vermont's forests, parks and recreation.
—Matthew Ormseth, courant.com, 31 Aug. 2017
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Amanda Gokee, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2023
Vermont has suffered its own peckish pest — the forest tent caterpillar, said Michael Snyder, commissioner of Vermont's forests, parks and recreation.
—Matthew Ormseth, courant.com, 31 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Forest tent caterpillar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forest%20tent%20caterpillar. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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